Human feces taint more than half of swimming pools says CDC study

[marmar]

WASHINGTON — Human feces taint more than half of public swimming pools, a finding U.S. health officials are using to urge better personal hygiene as the summer months approach.

E. coli, which indicates the presence of fecal matter, was detected in 58 per cent of samples taken from pool filters by the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, according to data released Thursday by the Atlanta-based agency. Pools frequented mostly by children were more likely to test positive for E. coli, which can cause stomach and respiratory illness.

Municipal pools open to all were worse than public pools requiring membership, the CDC said. Acute gastrointestinal illness related to recreational water sports has substantially increased since 1978, with diarrheal incidents and other poor swimmer hygiene being a major contributor, the CDC said.

“Finding a high percentage of E. coli-positive filters indicates swimmers frequently contaminate pool water when they have a fecal incident in the water or when feces rinse off of their bodies because they do not shower thoroughly before getting into the water,” the agency said in a statement. .........................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.thestar.com/news/world/2013/05/16/human_feces_taint_more_than_half_of_swimming_pools_says_cdc_study.html

[Auggie]

1. Yuck

I've always had a problem with public pools anyhow.

[quinnox]

2. nice. keep this in mind next time you accidently take a swig of pool water

at the local swimming pool.

[pscot]

3. This is really more information than I need.

[CBGLuthier]

8. No, I am sorry, but that qualifies as the information we all need.

No worries for me as I do not swim for fun but I sure would like to know what I am getting into if I did.

[tularetom]

4. A fecal incident in the water?

Do they mean like this?

[Ian David]

5. Are they sure it's not just a Babe Ruth Bar?

[CBGLuthier]

9. Baby, not Babe

Named after Grover Cleveland's daughter, Wrigley claimed. Although there are allegations that the name really was meant to trade in on the Bambino's popularity without paying him.

[surrealAmerican]

6. This is something I've wondered about on days when ...

... my city "closes" its beaches for high e.choli levels: is it still cleaner than a swimming pool?

[LiberalEsto]

7. Oh c'mon, a little biomass never hurt anyone

It just makes our immune systems stronger...

[bluestate10]

10. When I grew up in a poor part of town, our public pool had shower monitors to

ensure kids washed before going into the water. The tactic as a bit heavy handed, but it worked.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

20. We had to straddle and walk naked over a long pipe that shot water upward.

You had to do it to gain access to the pool. Now I know why.

As Austin Powers would put it - "give your undercarriage a how's your father"

I think, due to modern drugs and medicine, we get complacent about public hygiene.

[kestrel91316]

11. I guess the bleach isn't doing its job.

[Liberal_in_LA]

12. ugh

[backscatter712]

13. Well, that's shitty! n/t

[Zorra]

14. I don't ever swim in swimming pools anymore.

I can't stand the smell of chlorine, so I stopped swimming in pools long ago.

I love to swim, but only in clean, natural bodies of water.

[snooper2]

15. which is why I put those chemicals in the pool

[TwilightGardener]

16. Public/municipal pools will eventually go by the wayside.

I wouldn't climb into a bathtub with strangers, why a pool? Chlorine, schmorine, the poop, hair, urine, etc. are still there.

[pintobean]

17. I love it.

[olddots]

18. the anti tax turd maggots don't want anything "public "

yeah it's a dirty world when you might have to use a public facility that is maintained by tax dollars .

A couple of years ago there was the scare about tooth brushes picking up fecal mater just by being in the bathroom ----

FEAR !

[cherokeeprogressive]

19. Meh. If this study were done 20 years ago it would be 20 year old news.

Or 50, or 100 for that matter.

I'd venture to guess that the number of people who shower each and every time they're about to get into a pool is not as large as one would hope. "Fecal incident" my ass.

Being from Southern California, I couldn't even begin to guess how many pools I've been in, and we had one in our back yard. I've never EVER had any gastrointestinal illness from being in a pool nor do I know anyone who has.

[BainsBane]

21. Man, I was just going to start swimming laps again

You're not helping my exercise goals.

[DRoseDARs]

22. Patrons. Don't. Shower.

It's as simple as that in many cases. I'm a CPO responsible for maintaining both a lap pool and a spa, and I cannot tell you how many people flat-out ignore the signs we have posted everywhere to shower before they get into either. Often times they come straight from the locker rooms, even straight from working out or attending a class (like Spin Bike classes *shudder*). Some even go straight from the sauna with their sweat. Before you get indignant at the establishments, watch your fellow patrons and politely ask that they make sure they shower before bringing any of their ooly-goolies in with them.

Pool maintenance is an art, not a science, due to the wildly uncontrollable variable of patrons abusing their stay.

[bluedigger]

23. You really don't want to know what fish do in ponds.